October 15, 2022!
Public Conference on Cancer is funded by The Office of Public Engagement – Accelerator Fund and supported by NLSUPPORT. We very much appreciate their support that makes this public outreach event a reality!
This is a public engagement activity that is co-developed by the members of the Public Interest Group on Cancer Research!
It will be a free and virtual Conference open to participation by residents of NL – see you there!

Public Interest Group on Cancer Research made two presentations in a national academic conference!
We are delighted to note that our group has made two presentations at the The Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control (ARCC) Conference (Sept 14-15, 2023)! The titles and authors of these presentations are: 1. Partnering with patient advisers in designing and delivering public engagement events on cancer. Sevtap Savas, Alicia Follett, Holly…
Public Interest Group on Cancer Research published their 2nd scholarly manuscript!
What a pleasure to share with you our new scholarly manuscript on lessons learnt, experience and perspectives gained as a result of the Public Conference on Cancer (Oct 15, 2022)!! This conference was organized and delivered by the Public Interest Group on Cancer Research. I strongly believe that the public members of this group were…
Public Conference on Cancer – Feedback
We are very excited to summarize the feedback we received on the Public Conference on Cancer that was delivered on October 15, 2022. A total of 52 participants completed the Feedback Survey. In addition, we received email and social media comments. Overall, the feedback recieved was overwhelmingly positive! Thank you everyone who was involved and…
Guest Blog: “I had high hopes for simplicity, good news, and most importantly good information”
—————————————————————————————————————- Guest Blog Post – 2 By Mike Warren October 2022, Newfoundland and Labrador There are numerous stories, facts and figures about cancer and its impact on people, including their families and friends. While we might want to wish cancer away or ignore it, that’s not the best approach. We should learn about it, talk…
Public Conference on Cancer – select recordings & presentation materials
We are pleased to post select recorded talks and presentation slides that are used to exchange knowledge during the Public Conference on Cancer. Please click on the links below to access the presentation materials. Thank you for your interest! GEOFF EATON. Opening Remarks JASON WISEMAN. A brother’s tale HOLLY ETCHEGARY, PhD. Canada’s Strategy for Patient…
Public Conference on Cancer was successful!
We have had a vibrant and interactive day of a public event on Saturday the 15th! Thank you everyone who has joined us, all speakers, organizing team, tech support by OPED staff, and funders-supporting units (Office of Public Engagement, Discipline of Oncology at MUN, and NLSUPPORT) – without your interest and support we could not…
By Janine T. Cutting – Why am I speaking in the Public Conference on Cancer?
Here is what Janine T. Cutting, one of our patient speakers, has to say about the Public Conference on Cancer: https://youtu.be/qTvzvGA0IEM For more info about Janine and her talk, please see here. For our community. With our community. Join us on Oct 15th for the Public Conference on Cancer. To register, please visit: https://www.med.mun.ca/oped/programs/4534
By Derrick Bishop – Why am I speaking in the Public Conference on Cancer?
Why am I speaking in the Public Conference on Cancer? By Derrick Bishop: https://youtu.be/C1mNdBirZbo Derrick is one of the patient speakers of the Public Conference on Cancer. For more info about Derrick, please see here. For our community. With our community. Join us on Oct 15th for the Public Conference on Cancer. For registration, please…
Why are we organizing the Public Conference on Cancer (Oct 15, 2022)?
There are good reasons that motivate us and help us organize this public event – please have a look at this short video message (https://youtu.be/_xY6N6Yp_Ak). For our community. With our community. To register for this conference, please visit: https://www.med.mun.ca/oped/programs/4534 or contact me: savas@mun.ca; 709-864 6507 See you in the Public Conference on Cancer!
Conference Schedule (as of Sept 8, 2022)
The current Conference Schedule and list of Speakers, together with the learning objectives for each talk, can be found below. See you in the Public Conference on Cancer, October 15th!
Registration now OPEN – Public Conference on Cancer
Registration for the Public Conference on Cancer is now OPEN. Please register here: https://www.med.mun.ca/oped/programs/4534 Registration is required to participate in this conference. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Sevtap Savas at savas@mun.ca or 709-864-6507. See you there on October 15th!
Meet the moderators – Drs. Teri Stuckless and Sevtap Savas
Drs. Teri Stuckles and Sevtap Savas will moderate the Public Conference on Cancer. Dr. Stuckless is a radiation oncologist, assistant professor at Discipline of Oncology, and the Clinical chief of the Provincial Cancer Care program in NL. Dr. Savas is a cancer researcher, geneticist, and professor at Biomedical Sciences at MUN. Our moderators have a…
Meet our speakers – Scott Antle and Gregory Doyle
Scott Antle and Gregory Doyle are health administrators at Eastern Health that oversee important cancer screening programs offered to the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. Cancer screening services are offered to eligible individuals. By making it possible to early detect the tumors or cancerous tissues, they help inform individuals regarding their cancer risk. Please talk…
Meet our speakers – Lorie Kielley and Shirley Fagan
We are beyond delighted that Lorie Kielley, M.N., B.N., and Shirley Fagan, R.N. have accepted to speak about the cancer patient navigator program in the Public Conference on Cancer. Lorie and Shirley support and help cancer patients navigate their way during their cancer care journey. Their work is very important and we heard nothing but…
Meet our speakers – Beth Snow
We are excited that Beth Snow – the director of the Provincial Cancer Care Program serving the cancer patients in Newfoundland and Labrador – is joining us as a speaker in the Public Conference on Cancer! Beth is a dedicated cancer care administrator in our province. For information about the Provincial Cancer Care Program she…
Meet our speakers – Lynette Hillier
We are excited to have Lynette Hillier as one of our speakers! She is the Executive Director of the Cancer Care Foundation, the provincial charitable organization that raises funds in support of Cancer Care in Newfoundland and Labrador. We are looking forward to Lynette’s talk and learning the support offered by the Foundation to cancer…
Meet our speakers – Tristan Bilash
Tristan Bilash is our guest speaker, all the way from Saskatchewan! He is a transgender man, a cancer survivor, and a fierce advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We are delighted that he will join us at our Public Conference on Cancer. ***Note that his speech will be pre-recorded.
Meet our speakers – Sevtap Savas
Dr. Sevtap Savas is a cancer scientist. She will speak about the goals and activities of the Public Interest Group on Cancer Research, a successful cancer patient-family member-scientist partnership in Newfoundland and Labrador. This public interest group includes 12 patient and family members affected by cancer and the Public Conference on Cancer idea was created…
Meet our speakers – Lisa Blundell
Lisa Blundell is one of our valuable patient speakers. As someone who experienced pediatric cancer as a child, her insight and perspectives on life beyond cancer are important. We enthusiastically welcome Lisa to our Conference and cannot wait to hear her story – Thank you Lisa!
Meet our speakers – Paula Newhook
Paula Newhook is one of the social workers providing important service and support to cancer patients and families in the province. The oncology social work program is a part of the Provincial Cancer Care Program – to learn about this important program and services offered to the patients & families, please check their website: https://cancercare.easternhealth.ca/…
Meet our speakers – Janine Cutting
Janine Cutting is one of our patient speakers in the Public Conference on Cancer. We are honoured by the presence of our patient speakers and highly appreciate of their willingness to share their stories. Thank you Janine.
Meet our speakers – Dr. Jennifer Shea and Ms. Kathy Michelin
The research and other scholarly activities performed by Dr. Shea and her partners, including Ms. Michelin, have generated novel insights and improve our understanding of the patient experiences in Indigenous communities. We are very much looking forward to their joint talk and learning from them. Thank you Jennifer and Kathy!
Meet our speakers – Derrick Bishop
Derrick is one of our patient speakers in the Public Conference on Cancer. We are grateful for him taking time to share his perspective with us during the conference. ———————————————————————————– ***PRESENTATION (added on October 26, 2022) Personal impact of hereditary cancer – My story By Derrick Bishop *Pre-recorded talk Note: Conference materials (video recordings, presentation…
Meet our speakers – Dr. Holly Etchegary
Dr. Holly Etchegary has expertise in many health-research related topics, most importantly, in patient-oriented research and public engagement. We are very excited to have her with us in the Public Conference on Cancer. Thank you Holly! ———————————————————————————— ***PRESENTATION (added on October 26, 2022 Canada’s Strategy For Patient Oriented Research (SPOR): Putting Patients First By Holly…
Meet our speakers -Jason Wiseman
Jason Wiseman was a family member/caregiver of a cancer patient. We are very much looking forward to the insight he will share with us. Thanks for this Jason – it is an incredible opportunity for all of us to have you with us in the Public Conference on Cancer. ——————————————————————————— ***PRESENTATION (added on October 26,…
Meet our speakers – Geoff Eaton
Geoff Eaton will deliver the Opening Remarks in the Public Conference on Cancer – we are very grateful for him taking time to do this. We are truly honored by his presence in the conference. Thank you very much Geoff – looking forward to your talk! ———————————————————————————————————————— ***PRESENTATION (added on October 26, 2022) Opening Remarks…
Public Conference on Cancer – Tentative Schedule (July 27, 2022)
Come join us on October 15, 2022 Saturday for this free, public conference full of talks by great speakers, including cancer patients, family members, experts, and healthcare providers and more! Stay tuned for the registration information (coming soon).